Blood vessel features in tumors may help predict patient survival in colorectal cancer

Tumors require a blood supply to grow and survive. The blood vessels that nourish tumors can have different characteristics across cancer types and could be connected to patient survival and outcomes. Researchers from Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a prospective cohort study using advanced imaging techniques to microscopically characterize colorectal tumor vessels.

The study found that patients with tumors showing higher overall blood vessel density had better survival, and a higher proportion of microvessels was associated with better outcomes.

The results are published in JAMA Network Open.

“Numerous blood vessels extend deep into tumors, yet their role in tumor biology is still relatively understudied,” explained corresponding author Shuji Ogino, MD, chief of the Program in Molecular Pathological Epidemiology in the Department of Pathology at Mass General Brigham.

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